Gas price spike puts squeeze on drivers

Sunday

The recent spike in gas prices is putting the squeeze on drivers' wallets, and the pain at the pump will not go away anytime soon, a representative with AAA Carolinas said Friday.

The recent spike in gas prices is putting the squeeze on drivers' wallets, and the pain at the pump will not go away anytime soon, a representative with AAA Carolinas said Friday.Gas prices in the Hendersonville-Asheville area at the end of the week averaged $3.09 for a gallon of regular unleaded, according to AAA Carolinas.Gas prices jumped literally overnight, with the price going up as much as 10 cents a gallon in some places.The region has not seen gas prices this high since Oct. 17, 2008, when gas prices were $3.78 for a gallon of regular unleaded, said Brendan Byrnes, a spokesman for AAA Carolinas. The cost of a barrel of oil has increased because of the turmoil in the Middle East.“The jump in gas prices is the market reaction to Libya's unrest,” Byrnes said. “Oil prices hit $103 per barrel Thursday.”There's a reason why gas prices have already increased, despite the fact that gasoline being sold now was bought before the turmoil in Libya.“That expensive oil has not made its way to the pump yet, but gas station owners are likely upping their prices in anticipation of higher-priced wholesale fuel they're expecting,” he said.“So, that being said, we're getting the big increase now and we should see it stabilize, whereas we would normally see a bump in gas prices a little bit later.”The summer travel season and refineries switching to a cleaner blend of gasoline will also keep prices up, Byrnes said. Global increases in demand in China and India are also helping support higher prices. This means it's unlikely that gas prices will come down before summer hits, although Byrnes emphasized that the area should not see the $4 per gallon prices that occurred in the summer of 2008.“There's no projection on where prices will be going, but the economy would not likely support $4 per gallon as we saw in 2008,” he said. “You are probably not going to see $145 for a barrel of oil which is what the cost would have to get to in order to experience a $4 a gallon gas price.”

The high gas prices aren't sitting well with Hendersonville resident Max Garren.“I think it's a rip-off — the economy is so bad and the way gas prices are going up, it's just greed,” he said. “They (oil companies) are not paying more for what's already here. They're making a killing on it.”Rutherford County resident Darlan Potocnik makes a 70-mile commute every day to her job in Hendersonville. The sudden surge in gas prices caused her to put a cost-saving measure into effect, she said, as she filled up her Chrysler P.T. Cruiser at the Energy Mart/Exxon gas station off Upward Road.“I heard some men talking that driving your car at 2,000 rpm gives you the best fuel economy, so I tried it and it has made a difference,” she said. “I've gone from 22 miles per gallon to over 30. I've slowed down my driving — I just hope nobody hits me from behind.”

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